I’ve spent most of my career in the field on real estate projects.
Operating deals.
Walking properties.
Fixing problems.
Making broken things work again.
And for a long time, that was enough.
But somewhere in your late 30s…
Something changes.
Not obvious. Not dramatic.
Just… off.
You’re still producing.
Still making money.
Still closing deals.
But:
energy dips earlier
recovery takes longer
focus gets inconsistent
weight creeps up
sleep isn’t the same
And most guys do what we’ve always done:
👉 push harder
But this isn’t a work problem.
It’s a biology problem.
What Nobody Told Us
We learned:
how to find deals
how to negotiate
how to grind
Nobody taught us:
how environment plays a key role
how hormones impact performance
how to track health like a business
how to prevent decline instead of reacting to it
So we default to the system.
Go to the doctor.
Get told “you’re fine.”
Maybe get a prescription.
Move on.
Here’s the Reality
The system isn’t designed to optimize you.
It’s designed to manage you.
The average American is on 4+ prescription drugs
~1.7–1.9 million people die each year from chronic disease
Doctors have ~6 minutes per patient
60–80% of drugs get label changes or recalls
That’s not a performance system.
That’s a maintenance system.
The Part That Hit Me
A lot of what we’ve been told about hormones?
Flat out wrong.
The fear around testosterone?
Came from a study in the 1930s… with 3 people.
And that narrative stuck for decades.
Meanwhile:
men’s testosterone has been declining for years
obesity, fatigue, depression are rising
and guys are just told “it’s normal”
It’s not.
The Misdiagnosis Problem
A lot of men think they’re:
burned out
depressed
unmotivated
But what’s actually happening is:
👉 their biology is off
Hormones.
Insulin.
Inflammation.
You don’t fix that with motivation.
You fix that with awareness and action.
The Dangerous Part
Right now, we’re in a weird place.
Demand for optimization exploded.
The system couldn’t keep up.
So what happened?
👉 4 out of 5 peptides are now coming from black/gray market sources
No doctor.
No guidance.
No dosing control.
That’s the real Wild West.
Meanwhile…
Big pharma is doing what it does best:
lobbying billions
controlling access
protecting patents
While:
taxpayers fund early research
drugs get sold back at massive scale
prevention stays underfunded
That’s not conspiracy.
That’s incentives.
What Actually Works (Simple Version)
If you’re an operator, don’t overcomplicate this.
Start here:
get full labs (not basic bloodwork)
lift weights consistently
fix sleep first
clean up diet (protein > processed food)
reduce alcohol
track your data
Then:
If needed, explore:
hormone optimization
peptides (from legit sources only)
Not shortcuts.
Tools.
The Real Shift
You don’t need to become a “health guy.”
You just need to stop ignoring the system that runs everything.
Because:
👉 you cannot build a high-performance business
with a low-performance body
And the next level for you?
It’s not more effort.
It’s better alignment.
Final Thought
Most of us built our success through brute force.
That works… until it doesn’t.
The guys who keep winning?
They evolve.
They start treating:
their health like their business
their energy like capital
their body like infrastructure
That’s the shift.
If you’re feeling off lately…
Don’t just push harder.
Start asking questions to medical professionals that specialize in health optimization. Take it serious… it may be the next biggest deal you close!
Take Care,
- Steve Mills
Podcast with Ways2Well co-Founder. Great resources and info. Highly recommend you listen.
few notes from the podcast:
14 High-Value Takeaways (Operator Translation)
1. The Healthcare System Is Built for “Sick Care,” Not Performance
Data: ~1.7–1.9 million Americans die annually from chronic disease
Meaning: The system is reactive, not preventative
Why it matters: You’re optimizing deals, not your body—the system won’t fix that
Action: Stop expecting primary care to optimize you → go proactive
2. The Average American Is on 4+ Prescription Drugs
Meaning: We are managing symptoms, not solving root causes
Why it matters: That’s your future if you don’t intervene early
Action: Audit meds → ask: “What root issue is this masking?”
3. Testosterone Fear Was Built on a 1930s Study (3 People)
Myth: TRT causes prostate cancer
Reality: No modern data supports this
Meaning: Decades of medical advice = flawed foundation
Why it matters: You may be avoiding something that could fix your energy
Action: Get labs → stop relying on outdated fear
4. Hormone Decline Drives Aging More Than “Getting Older”
Meaning: Your decline isn’t random—it’s biological
Why it matters: Low energy, fat gain, brain fog = often hormonal
Action: Test → don’t guess
5. 60–80% of Approved Drugs Get Label Changes or Recalls
Meaning: Even “approved” ≠ safe long-term
Why it matters: Blind trust in FDA approval is flawed
Action: Think critically about everything you take
6. 90% of Tools Used in Surgery Never Had Human Trials
Meaning: Medicine already operates in “gray zones”
Why it matters: The peptide argument (“not enough studies”) is selective
Action: Don’t fall for inconsistent logic
7. Exercise Is 6–7x More Effective Than Antidepressants
Meaning: Lifestyle > prescriptions
Why it matters: Most entrepreneurs are solving biology with pills
Action: Train like it’s part of your business (because it is)
8. Depression Is Often Misdiagnosed (Hormones, Not Just Mindset)
Meaning: Many men aren’t depressed—they’re biologically off
Why it matters: You may be solving the wrong problem
Action: Check hormones before accepting diagnosis
9. Big Pharma Economics: $1–3B to Launch a Drug
Reality: Much of early research is taxpayer-funded (NIH)
Meaning: You fund innovation → then buy it back at scale
Why it matters: Incentives favor profit, not prevention
Action: Understand incentives before trusting systems
10. GLP-1 Drugs Became the Biggest Drug Category Ever
Data: Companies scaled to $800B+ valuations
Meaning: Massive money = massive influence
Why it matters: Regulation is often driven by economics, not health
Action: Be aware of what’s being pushed and why
11. 4 Out of 5 Peptides Are Being Bought on the Black Market
Meaning: Demand exploded → system couldn’t keep up
Why it matters: Most people are using unsafe, unregulated products
Action: Only use legitimate, clinician-guided sources
12. Many Black Market Peptides Are Misdosed or Fake
Meaning: You could be injecting 2x intended dose—or nothing
Why it matters: Risk is real when chasing shortcuts
Action: Avoid “cheap” sources
13. Chronic Disease Starts Decades Before Diagnosis
Example:
Cancer in your 40s → started in your 30s
Diabetes in your 30s → started in your 20s
Meaning: You’re already on a trajectory
Why it matters: Waiting = losing
Action: Start diagnostics early (30s, not 50s)
14. The Future = Data-Driven Personal Health
bloodwork
VO2 max
DEXA
real-time tracking
AI interpretation
Meaning: Health will become like business dashboards
Why it matters: High performers will treat health like metrics
Action: Build your “health dashboard”
Broken System (Simple Explanation)
Pharma profits from chronic disease
Insurance pays for treatment, not prevention
Doctors have 6 minutes per patient
System rewards prescriptions, not solutions